On March 8th Yoke Lore brought his spring 2019 headline tour to Toronto for a sold out night at The Garrison.
Folk-rock band Runnner (with THREE N’s) got the crowd ready with their very energetic drums and interesting guitar melodies:
Next was Yoke Lore. I was interested to see how his unique blend of acoustic and electronic would translate to the stage. And of course, excited for the novelty of seeing a banjo outside of a strictly folk music setting!
Watching Yoke Lore is a purely joyful experience. During a very brief technical difficulty the singer Adrian Galvin jokingly commented that he is meant to be in the woods making music, not with technology. To me and the rest of the crowd however, it is clear that he belongs on stage. He holds nothing back, swinging his arms with reckless abandon and his feet, legs, and hips moving non-stop. There’s something about seeing someone dance that energetic and free that not only creates an open and exciting atmosphere in the venue, but is also a reminder to bring that energy into the rest of your life.
The drums were just as entertaining to watch, catchy and complex. The drummer absolutely demolished that minimalist drum set up and made it sound enormous. The one pain of the show was deciding in each song whether I wanted to watch the drums or the dancing or the visuals on the screen in the background, which is the best possible problem to have. The visuals which accompanied Yoke Lore’s performance took the crowd from mountain tops to watery depths, from winter landscapes to deserts to urban life, which set a pleasant atmosphere and reflected the urban and acoustic blend of his music.
We also got a few portraits of Adrian before he hit the stage:
Yoke Lore has tour dates lined up through the US and Europe until the beginning of June, you can find more info at his website here so you don’t miss out!
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Review by Zoe Orion + photos by Kahala Orion.
